Improvement in corn-planters



L CLARBIDGE. Corn-Planters.

N0.l52,075, Patenfedlunelmlsm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN OLARRIDGE, OF MOUNT STERLING, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENTYlN CORNfPLANTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 152,076, dated June 16,1874; application filed April 4, 1874.

.To all whom it may concern:

' Mount Sterling, in the county of Madison and State of Ohio, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Corn-Planter, of which thefollowing is a specication:

Figure 1 is a top view of my improved planter, parts being broken awayto show the construction. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section ofthe same, taken through the line x x, Fig.` 1, and parts being brokenaway to show the construction. Fig. 3 is a detail side view of theextension rope-wheel and its attachments, parts being broken away toshow the construction. Fig. 4 is an underside view of the grooved orguide plate for operating the slide. Fig. 5 shows a modification of thesame. Fig. 6 is a detail view, showing the friction-rollers.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The invention will first be fully described, and then pointed out in theclaims.

A is the main frame of the machine, to the front cross-bar of which arehinged the forward ends of the plow-frames B, so that the rear ends ofsaid frames may have a vertical movement, to enable the plows to adaptthemselves to any unevenness in the surface of the ground. To the upperside of the rear end of each of the frames B is secured a hollowrplatform, O, to the top of which the hopper is attached. From thedistributer D the seed passes through a guide spoilt or channel, E, anddrops into Vthe cavity of the plow-standard F, where it rests upon thevalve G, pivoted inthe lower part of said standard F. To the rear end ofthe valve G is attached a rod, H, which passes up through the rear partof the frame B, and has a cross-head formed upon or attached to itsupper end. I is a lever pivoted to the rear part of the frame B, andwhich has a wedge, J, formed upon its rear side, which, as the saidlever I is forced back, passes beneath the head of the rod H, raises it,and opens the valve G, allowing the seed to drop to the ground. To thefree end of the lever I, and to the projecting sideof the distributer,are pivoted the rear ends of two rods,

K, the forward ends of which are attached to a slide, L.

By this construction, as the slide L moves forward, the distributor isoperated to drop the seed into the cavity of the standard F, and thevalve G is closed to receive the seed. As the slide L moves to therearward, the distrihuter is turned to receive seed for another hill,and the valve G is opened to drop the seed previously received to theground.

The slide Lmovcs forward and back between four friction-rollers, M,pivoted to the plate N, attached to the front cross-bar of the frame A.To the end parts of the plate N are attached two blocks, O, as thick as,or a little thicker than, the slide L, for the cross-slide P to workupon. the blocks by the clutches or keepers Q, also attached to theplate N. In the lower side of the cross-slide l) is formed a curved orcam groove, p', to receive a pin, l', attached to the upper side of theforward end of the slide L, so that the slide L may be .moved back andforth longitudinally by the transverse movement of the slide l). The pinp should have a small roller placed upon it to diminish friction. Allthe slides P are attached to a single cross-bar, R, so that they may allbe moved together and by one operation. To the crossbar B is pivoted theforward end of a lever, S, which is pivoted to a support, T, attached tothe frame-work of the machine, and its rear end projects into such aposition that it may be readily reached and operated from the driversseat U, the supports of which are attached to the axle V, to which therear part of the frame A is attached, and upon the journals of which thewheels W revolve. If desired, the forwardends of the two rods K may bepivoted to the end of a lever, X, which is pivoted at its middle part tothe frame B, and to its other end is pivoted the rear end of theconnecting-rod Y, the forward end of which is pivoted to the rear end ofslide L. The lever X is provided with a spring, Z, connected with theframe B, to move the slide L in one direction. This allows one side ofthe groove in the transverse slide P to be removed, as shown in Fig. 5.The slide P may beV omitted, and the slide L operated by the wheel A',which has one or more pins, a', attached to its side,'to strike againstthe pin l of the slide L to move it forward, the spring Z moving it Thecross-slide I) is held down u )011.

back. The wheels A', one for each slide L, are attached to a shai't,l3',which revolves in bearings attached to the forward part ofthe frame A.To one end of the shaft l5' is attached the wheel C', the rim ot' whichis made in sect-ions @which are attached to arms c2, which tit intoradial grooves in the body of the said wheel C', and are secured byset-screws c, so that the wheel may be expanded or contracted, accordingas the hills are to be planted wider apart or closer together. D' is arope, which makes one turn around the wheel O', passes through guidesE', attached to the frame A, and its ends are secured by stakes at theopposite sides of the field, so that the rope D' may serve as a guide tocause the machine to cross the field in a straight line, and may alsooperate the dropping device at regular intervals, plant-in g the corn inaccurate check-rows. Iu crossing the tield the rst time the rope iscarried upon a drum, F', from which it is unwound as the machineadvances, until the other side of the field has been reached, when itsend is detached from the drum F' and staked to the ground. The supportG' for the drum F' should be detachable, so that the drum and itssupport may be detached from the machine when not required for use. rlhcdraft-strain upon the plows F is sustained by a rod, H', the forward endof which is hooked into one or the other of the holes in a plate, T, at-

its lower part is so formed as, when moved forward, to move along thecolter and push oit' any rubbish that may be lodged there, and mightotherwise choke the plow. To the up per end of the rod J" is attachedthe end of a rope, K', which passes back through guideeyes or aroundguide-pulleys attached to the frame A. The rear end of the rope issecured in a support, L', in such a position that it may be readilyreached to operate the rod J' from the driver's scat U. The rod J', whenthe rope K' is released, is moved `back and held out of the way by aspring, M', attached to the frame B, and which bears against the saidrod J'.

Having thus described m y invention, l ela-iin as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination ofthe plate N,frictionrollers M, blocks O, grooved eross-slide P, and longitudinalslide L, provided with a pin, l', with each other, for giving motion tothe two connecting-rods K, that operate the dropping device,substantially as herein shown and dcscribed.

2. The lever l, provided with a wedge, J,in combination with theconnecting-rod K, and with the stem H of the valve G, substantially asherein shown and described.

Y JOHN CLARRIDGE.

Vi tnesses:

JNo. XV. lIANMvALr, D. F. 'liNDEn

